Starfox Unexpected Plans
by Jcupton96
Summary: College years AU. Fox has some unexpected plans for his Friday night, how will they unfold? Impulsive, sort of song-fic.


**A/N. So this is something I impulsively threw together over a few days. Came to me through the idea of a song, so it's a partial songfic thing. "I get excited" by Rick Springfield. The lyrics might seem a bit odd, but when the song shows up just listen to it(If you want) And perhaps it'll make a bit more sense. As for background; it's not 100% developed and perfect but here's the lowdown. College time AU, Fox and Falco are besties, Krystal's not a telepath for now at least. There's a bit more context in the story itself. For now this is a oneshot idea, it might get an adaptation, it might get some addons. I'm not sure yet, it's just something I did impulsively because I felt like it, as mentioned above. I hope you guys enjoy it either way :D**

* * *

"So the plans are off tonight?"

"Yeah dude, the chick at the student health center said that I don't need to go anywhere. I just need to stay in for the night, not chance getting someone else sick or getting any worse. Talk about a bummer dude."

Fox sighed a bit hearing his the words from his avian friend. "Dang, and here I was actually looking forward to it all, I mean sure we were all just gonna go to a little coffee dive, kinda ordinary, but since me and you usually just do our own thing."

"Yeah I gotcha dude, sorry. Maybe they'll wanna go some other time. I already told Katt, I don't know if Krystal knows."

Falco said her name, that name that Fox just wasn't sure about. He knew of the sapphire vixen, her name. That was about it. He knew that she was friends with Katt, who Falco was a bit smitten with, and that she knew who Fox was thanks to Falco. The two foxes had met before, sort of. If saying hello and exchanging names counts as meeting, then indeed they've certainly met.

"That's a bummer. Too bad I guess."

"Dude you could still ask Krystal and Katt. Katt sure sounded like she was just gonna stay in and study some tonight, but I don't know about Krystal. I mean I haven't seen her a whole lot but she seems cool so maybe she'll still wanna go even if it's the two of you."

Fox held his breath for a moment at that thought. Certainly he had only met her only a handful of times, perhaps less, but those times certainly left an impression on him.

She was far beyond beautiful, there was no way around it.

"Hey come on, don't tell me that you froze up. It was just an idea, you ain't gotta be a scaredy cat about it."

The quick insult nearly snapped Fox out of his trance. "Yeah, right. Just a thought I had."

"So?"

"So what?" "So are you gonna do anything? I remember Katt told me that she spends a lot of time in the premed or nursing building, whatever medical field she wants to go into, maybe you can go over there and find her."

"Yeah? Find her and do what?"

"Either tell her that the plans are off or ask her if she still wants to go out. I know you like her." Fox's blood rushed to his face as his temperature hit a sharp rise.

"I don't like her." That was true, Fox had never shared actual words with Krystal outside of greetings and "I'm Fox". Everything else was left to what Krystal had heard through the grapevine about Fox and Falco, and who knows how diluted that could be if it came from Falco or Katt.

"I mean sure I think she's cute." That was far from true. Fox thought she was beautiful in every scope imaginable.

Whether it was her soft fur that shone despite the cobalt color. The way her fur went from cobalt to bright white when it came to her angelic face. Then those eyes, the turquoise gems. He was a bold faced liar when he said he thought she was cute, and Falco knew that much.

"Man you do whatever you want. I'm just saying that it's an option, plus I'm pretty sure she doesn't know and that med school building's just down the street from yours so it also wouldn't hurt if you at least let her know. Katt's either going out with some other friends or she's staying in tonight. I don't even know." Falco was right, that premed building wasn't far away from where Fox was now. It was only a bit past 3, the time most classes are done on Fridays, the teachers weren't hesitant to go home on Friday afternoons.

"I guess it won't hurt if I at least let her know. I'll go over there, is it okay for me to come back to the dorm later or do I need to stay somewhere else?"

"It's cool if you come back here, the chick at the clinic told me that since we're around each other so much that it's like our immune systems adapt. Whatever that means, but she said it's okay for you to come back here whenever."

"Cool, see you later dude." Fox slid his phone back into his pocket recollecting in the thoughts and conversation that just conspired.

'So then plans are off…sort of.' He thought as he looked outside the window of the hall he was in. It was a nice day in September, still pretty warm out. He could actually see the premed hall from where he was sitting, maybe she really was there.

'I guess there's only one way to find out.' As he stood up he felt a small chill in his shoes.

'Come on, I'm just telling her that the plans are off tonight. That's all, just being a nice friend.' He strapped on his backpack and put in his earbuds as he walked over towards the building, admiring the near-Autumn weather and campus that was becoming scarce of students considering the time of day. Step by step he neared the premed building, noticing that he had actually never been remotely close to it, not even passing it to head towards his own class halls.

He looked down at his phone to look at what song had come on, it was a newer one from an artist he had recently been listening to more.

"Hey Fox!"

That voice. The one he thought he might hear, and secretly feared he would hear. He looked up from one of his new favorite songs to see the one and only cobalt beauty waving and walking towards him a little bit. As heavy as his feet felt now, he began walking towards her. That smile she had on her face, he'd never really seen it before and it was shrinking him to the size of a rice grain.

"Hey Krystal."

"What brings you around here? I've never seen you at the premed building."

"Yeah I was just looking for you actually."

'He's looking for me? Why would he be looking for me?' The vixen wondered, she had known of Fox for a few weeks but that was it. Hardly even acquaintances.

"Yeah I needed to tell you that Falco got sick today, and so Katt decided that she was just gonna cancel the plans for tonight."

"Aw man, I was looking forward to everything tonight."

"Yeah, me too. Even if it's kinda ordinary. But yeah I was still looking forward to it." He tried to hide that he was checking her out just a little bit. He liked her shoes, the band on her t shirt, she's not actually single is she?

She looked a little down about the plans being cancelled, maybe she really was looking forward to it all. "But uh…" She looked towards Fox, leaning forward just a bit. Fox looked into those gems that were her eyes as he could hear in his mind the question that she was asking in silence.

"I just…found out a few minutes ago, before I walked over here. So I don't have…anything to do tonight. If you still want to go to the coffee shop I'd be glad to... go with you." He wasn't entirely sure if his voice had cracked while speaking the extended sentence, he was more concerned with trying to actually get it out.

"That sounds great." The words he wasn't sure he would hear, and he just did.

'Did she really just agree to it? Just like that?'

"That sounds great, I've heard a little bit about you from Katt and Falco, but I've never really talked to you before."

"Yeah that's something I had thought of too. I mean I was just coming to tell you but you looked a little upset so I figured since I know I didn't have anything to do. So maybe we could still go."

"Yeah that sounds great to me. How about we meet at the student center around 7 and we can walk over to the coffee shop?" She even took some initiative in forming the plan for the night, Fox continued to be surprised.

"Yeah, that sounds great to me."

"Great! I'll see you then." She waved goodbye and flashed a cute smile before turning and walking back to her own dorm. Fox stood there almost in disbelief, hoping she didn't turn around and see him just standing there like a dope.

'So it looks like I have plans tonight.'

He made his way back to his dorm room, wide eyed the whole way back. He reached for his keys as he placed his hand on the doorknob, Falco was already back it appeared. He opened the door to see the bird slouched in a chair playing some game.

"Hey dude." Fox hardly heard his friend's greeting. "Dude?" The second greeting snapped him out of his trance for real this time.

"Oh, hey dude."

"So you found Krystal?"

"Yeah, I found her at the premed building like you said."

"Yeah? And what went down? You look like you just got a bucket of water dumped on you." Falco laughed a bit at his friend's expression.

"I uh, I told her that the plans had cancelled and all."

"And?"

"And then I asked her if she still wanted to go to the coffee shop, even if it's just me and her."

"And?"

"And she said she's down."

"Cool." Not exactly the response Fox thought he would get, he imagined some kind of teasing or a joke of some kind. Instead he gets a sincere and genuine response.

"So then does that mean this is a…date?"

Falco dropped his controller, not even hitting the pause button. "You didn't know it's a date?"

Fox shook his head, the thought had just now come to him. "Dude, are you kidding me? Yeah, it's a date. The two of you just going to a coffee shop, that's totally a date."

"What do you mean? It's not a date. I don't even know her or anything. This is definitely not a date." The bird laughed as he picked his controller back up and properly paused the game.

"Dude, the two of you are going to a coffee shop, she hardly knows you, and she didn't even hesitate it sounds like. It's. A. Date."

Fox dropped his backpack and plopped down on his bed, staring at the ground with a blank expression. "I have a date tonight." Was all he could say to himself, sounding a bit afraid.

"I have a date in three hours."

He laid down and stared at the ceiling now, staring at the blank white that was above him as he thought about what had transpired in the past half hour, and now what awaited him in a few hours. Then the ceiling changed from white to black.

"Wha- what!?" Fox looked around his dorm room, things looked a little different. Then he saw the difference, the clock read 6:43, he had just over 15 minutes to prepare for his date.

"Dude!"

Falco turned his head away from the screen and towards his friend. "Hey dude, you seemed tense so I let you doze off. What time did you say your date is?" Still a bit embarrassed and unsure of that word, Fox had to brush it off.

"It's at 7! Come on man!" Fox scrambled out of his bed as he tried to figure out what he was going to do.

He picked up his phone and saw the last song he was listening to. It was titled "I Get Excited". Right about now, that was the last feeling Fox had.

"Dude just chill" Falco's words weren't helping much, but for once the bird was right. "Just pop in your ear buds and do your thing." Fox didn't have any better ideas, so he did just that, maybe listening to the song would help him out with his mindset.

'Okay, wallet, keys, phone, guess I have everything.' He looked at the clock, he had six minutes to get to the student center. He looked at himself in the mirror, a plaid shirt tied around his waist with one of his favorite band T shirts and a nice pair of jeans with his converses. 'Guess it's about as good as six minutes can afford me.' He popped in his earbuds and headed out the door, headed towards a meeting that he still was unsure of.

'I mean, this isn't really a date is it?' He wondered as he briskly walked towards the student center. He opened the door and poked his head inside, wondering where exactly they were supposed to be meeting. They never said where in the student center, and it wasn't the smallest of buildings

. 'Guess I'll just have to poke around and see if I can't find her, or she'll find me.' He looked around the medium-sized building that had plenty of amenities, searching for the vixen that would most certainly stand out.

'Man I feel so weird looking like I don't know what I'm doing. Maybe I should just get Falco to text Katt so she can tell Krystal it's off.' As he had that thought, he made the mistake of poking his head around a corner. There he saw her sitting on one of the couches in a lounge, the back of her head facing him.

He stepped back and had to breath, as much as he had imagined this happening, he wasn't as prepared for it as he thought. 'Oh man, I don't feel so good.' Fox took a deep breath despite the brick in his stomach and walked out towards where Krystal was seated.

She had her earbuds in as her feet tapped to whatever music she was listening to, Fox almost didn't want to disturb her until the song was finished despite standing there behind her like a dope. He vaulted over the couch next to her, in a surprising burst of confidence as well as energy. She jumped a little bit before re-composing herself as that smile formed across her face when she realized who it was.

"You scared me!"

"I uh…noticed. You look funny when you're scared."

"Well I suppose you make quite a first impression then." He smiled at her, not knowing quite what to say. In the somewhat awkward silence, Krystal stood up.

"Come on let's go, I wanna see what this place is like."

"You've never actually been there before?"

The vixen shook her head. "No, Katt's talked about it before but I've never been there before. Have you?"

"Yeah, a time or two I'd go with Falco or with him and Katt. Only a few times before."

"Did you like it?"

"It seems like a nice little dive." That nervousness had returned now like it was a summertime cold. His answers and actions went from happy and outgoing, to abrupt and introverted.

'I wonder if she thinks this is a date too. Is it really a date?' The walk had a bit of silence to it, with small exchanges to it.

"So premed?" One of the basic questions, but it was certain to probe Krystal to doing more talking while Fox regained his sanity.

"I think if I had to sum it up, because I want to help people. I thought about psychology or counseling or something like that too. I think that helping people to recover through physical pain is the best way I really can help people, I don't really care about the benefits and drawbacks to it. I've just always wanted to help people."

"Wow, that's incredible. I never knew that about you, that you're so kind." Krystal's smile returned one more time as they neared the coffee shop they were so much awaiting.

"Here we are, it's a nice little dive isn't it?" The vixen nodded her head as they walked inside. The decorum was something of an underground dive from the 80s. Pool tables, a stage for a band, neon lighting with a coffee bar as well as plenty of tables and booths.

"This is so authentic." Now it was Fox's turn to nod along, that was a good word choice by Krystal. The population in the café was a bit scarce, maybe about 7 other people were seated, not counting workers or the band. The two foxes approached the bar, preparing to read whatever complicated names were on the overhanging menu.

"Oh wow, they have such a variety here." Fox took notice of Krystal's quiet rejoicing.

"You really like coffee?"

"Yeah I like it a lot, helps me get through the day too. Do you?"

"It's alright if you ask me." That was one more lie, Fox was not a fan of coffee. In the past, he only came here to spend time with Falco and Katt, he never ordered any type of coffee. 'Oh man it's gonna look kinda weird if I don't get anything. I don't even know what this stuff is.'

"Yeah I'll just have a single skinny cocoa frappe with a pinch of creamer." His gaze jerked over to the vixen, wondering what on God's green earth she just said.

'What in the he- whatever, I'll just get that.'

As Krystal stepped away did he greet the person working at the counter. "Yeah I'll take the same thing." Barely above a whisper but loud enough that the worker heard him. As the two of them took their seat did Krystal look towards the band stage.

"I wonder if anyone is playing tonight."

"Usually there's someone playing Friday nights, I wonder if someone had to cancel."

"I hope not, I like a little music, it adds to atmosphere."

"Yeah I agree. That's one of the things we all liked about this place."

"So Fox, where are you from? From around here?"

"I guess, sort of. My home planet, where I was born, was Papetoon. I didn't live there for long, my…dad and I moved here shortly after my mom passed away."

"Oh… Fox I-"

"No no, it's okay. I didn't wanna lie to you about it or anything."

"I'm sorry that happened, but your dad lives where now? Did you go to high school around here?"

" I lived a few hours away but my dad is… He was killed in his line of duty a few years ago, he was a pilot." There was a pause. Krystal felt that she had hit a sour spot twice in a row. To interrupt the silence and grant some respite, a worker brought them their two coffees. Krystal sipped on hers quickly, now it was her turn to feel a little awkward.

"It's okay, Krystal. I mean people ask things like that all the time, I've gotten used to it and all of it happened a long time ago."

"I…can relate."

"You can what?"

"I understand how you feel. My parents are…gone too. It's been a long time for me too, and I understand how you feel." Another pause.

"Thanks, Krystal. No one has ever told me that." He gave her a genuine, weak smile.

"You'll…always have me. You know, if you need to talk about something." He felt like that was perhaps a bit too deep to say, considering they have just met and have exchanged few words. But at the same time, it just felt right to say.

"Thanks, Fox. No one has told me that before either. I guess it's nice to meet someone who can understand you."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

Another awkward silence clouded them, but they could feel something akin to a warm chemistry between them. "So…what are you studying here? I never got to ask you."

"My actual major is criminal justice, with a minor in aviation. I wanna be a pilot of some sort."

"Like your…dad?"

"Yeah, something like that. If I can't find some kind of gig with piloting I can be a detective or something like that."

"Ha, that sounds great. Detective McCloud." A small grin came across both their faces hearing that title.

"Doesn't sound too bad to me." He laughed a bit, becoming more comfortable around Krystal the more they talked. The two of them had something in common that was rather uncommon, that was something that perhaps they could always lean on.

"Oh look, the band is here." Krystal pointed as a few people began to approach the stage holding a few instruments.

"I wonder what they'll play tonight." Fox looked on as one of the members approached the microphone, tapping it a few times to make sure it was working properly.

"Hey is this thing on? Oh!" Everyone in the café laughed a bit at the guy who approached the microphone. "So yeah tonight we figured we'd open up with a guest song. What that means is that one of you lucky, or unlucky, guys and gals have a chance to step up here and pick your own song to sing!" Fox gulped at hearing this, as comfortable as he was getting around Krystal he could only pray that they didn't say anything about him.

"Hey you! The guy sitting with the pretty girl, how about you sing your date a song!"

Fox looked around the café, trying to figure out who he was talking to. "Me?" He barely managed to squeak out while pointing at himself.

"Yeah yeah! Come on up man, can't leave your pretty date hanging without a show tonight can you?" Once again he said that word that shook Fox up, date. He looked over at Krystal, wearing that grin on her face once again.

"Yeah Fox, go ahead. It'll be fun." Now Krystal was even beckoning him towards the stage, to his surprise it actually ushered him a bit of courage. Standing up with hesitation evident on his face, he made his way towards the stage.

"Glad to see you've come to your senses, what are we playing tonight?"

Fox pulled out his phone and scrolled to a certain song, "You guys know this one?" All of the band members leaned forward to see what he was holding out.

"Oh yeah I remember that old guy, we can do that one." Fox stepped up to the microphone stand with a somewhat nervous expression on his face, but it melted away when he saw Krystal sitting in her seat and smiling right back up at him.

Fox cleared his throat with a less nervous look on his face as the guitarist began to strum.

( _Well you admit you like the game but you're not gonna play. You just ignore what your body's tryin' to say. I got the feelin' that you're playin' and we're both about to win and I think this angel's about to sin.)_

Krystal's eyes widened hearing this opening part of the song, she was glad to know that Fox had good taste in music. Not only that but the question crossed her mind, 'Is he singing about me?'

 _(I get excited, just thinkin' what you might be like. I get excited, there's heaven in your eyes tonight. The fire's ignited down below it's burnin' bright. Oh baby stay we got all night, all night. Baby please I can't please if I'm on my knees tonight.)_

The look of nervousness on Fox's face had entirely subsided, it's a good thing he picked a song he really liked. The more he sang the less attention he paid to those in the café, he was more focused on the song he had been ushered into singing. Nothing else mattered right now besides this song that he was singing.

 _(Baby I can feel your heart beat can't you feel the heat. Baby's got the cold feet fire below. Oh baby stay we got, oh baby stay we got_.)

Krystal knew what was coming next, the song was short but she knew what she would hear and see next.

 _(All night, all night, we got all night. Baby please I can't please if I'm on my knees- All night, all night, we've got all night, all night. Baby please I can't please if I'm on my knees tonight- tonight!)_

She watched as Fox sang and swayed to the last chorus in the song, she could tell just how much he did like this song. Fox opened his eyes and took a deep breath, looking at his small audience in the coffee shop, one audience member in particular. Applause flooded the small dive, whether it was for Fox or for the song was unknown.

He took a bow as he stepped off of the stage heading towards his previous seat. "Alright alright! Talk about a start tonight! Hope you guys enjoy the rest of what we have lined up for tonight!" The lead band member stepped away from the microphone to talk to his bandmates before starting.

She looked at Fox with a genuine, girlish smile. "So you like that one?"

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites. Did you…like it?"

She nodded in response. "I did like it, it sounded great even if you were a bit off key." Fox flashed a somewhat nervous smile hearing this but he focused more on the real take-home; She enjoyed it.

They smiled at each other before Krystal took one more sip of her coffee. "So then does that mean you like old rock like that?"

"M-hm, I like it. I listen to a lot of music, some people are surprised when I tell them that I do like some of the old stuff like that."

'Wow, she even likes the same kind of music.'

"So, I didn't ask you in return earlier, but where are you from?" She paused for a moment after taking one more sip of her coffee.

"I'm from Cerinia, I moved here 2 years ago for school."

"Cerinia? You're a long way from home, even if interplanetary travel is common."

"Yeah… I miss my family sometimes, even if I get to talk to them whenever I want.

" "Yeah, I can understand that…they're not a real substitute are they?" She shook her head, that sad look on her face.

"I know what you mean."

"Thanks, Fox. It's nice knowing that someone does." That look disappeared after he let her know that she was understood. She was getting more and more used to seeing that smile on his face, that helped her feel a bit more comfortable around here.

"So do you wanna…get outta here?" He asked her a bold question, which she quickly answered by unfolding her legs and picking up her coffee. He left his sitting right there, untouched since it was brought there as he stood up and the two of them left the coffee dive. Krystal pulled her phone out of her pocket, looking at the time and date being a bit alarmed.

"Oh my gosh! I didn't even notice the time!"

Fox peeked over at her phone, 10:13. "It's not all that late."

"I know, I just forgot that tomorrow morning I have a club meeting and event, at 5. Ugh." He laughed at her small dismay. "I guess I had better get going so I can actually get some sleep. Would you…walk me back to me dorm?"

"I would…be glad to." They walked together to the female dorm just a few blocks away, chatting and small talking, enjoying the company between the two of them. They stepped into the dorm's elevator, you would think the dorm was deserted with how quiet it was.

"What floor, miss?"

"Three." Fox punched in the number as the elevator began to shift.

"I had fun tonight." He told her in a somewhat shy tone.

"I did too, it was great."

"Yeah? I think it was too." The warm smiles made their way across their faces again as the door opened. They walked down the hall towards her door and they stopped at room 308. She reached for her keys out of her pocket and looked at Fox once more.

"I guess maybe we can do this again some other time?" He asked her.

"That would be great." She told him in return with that smile.

One more silent gesture was done, she held out her arms. Fox was shocked, but not shocked enough to turn down her gesture.

He wrapped his arms around her lower back as hers were around the back of his neck. Pulled close together, closer than he thought they would be, almost as though they could feel each other's heartbeats. She swayed back and forth, resting her head on his shoulder before pulling her head back up and facing him with their arms still around each other.

"I'll see you later, Fox."

"See you later, Krystal."

They finally relinquished as they both turned in opposite directions. Walking back to his dorm that night, Fox had only one thought on his mind.

'This was definitely a date.'


End file.
